Unexpected Pursuit
by XDracoMalfoysGirlX
Summary: During his Christmas break, Cedric Diggory finds himself in the unexpected pursuit of a very unexpected girl. Cedric can't get Luna Lovegood out of his mind & with Luna on the brink of her sexual awakening it could turn into the perfect Christmas break.
1. Instant

Chapter 1

Instant

Cedric Diggory sighed heavily, he was busily packing his clothes ready to leave Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. It was Christmas Day, the day after the Yule Ball. Almost all of the older students had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays just to attend the Yule Ball, there had been a big festive breakfast in the Great Hall this morning, and everyone, teachers included, had been in high spirits. His own friends however, were feeling rather delicate. Having smuggled alcohol into the Yule Ball, they were suffering with hangovers this morning and were currently lying out on their beds still and quiet, staring at the ceiling.

Mikey groaned quietly, lifting a hand to touch lightly to his head as he turned to look at Cedric. "All packed then?"

"Nearly," Cedric said, running his hands through his sandy brown hair. "Are you sure you won't come with me? My mum will be glad to make room for you all?"

"No thanks," Frankie said with a yawn, "I couldn't possibly leave my new girl all alone over Christmas," he winked at Cedric. "I could earn a lot of brownie points for staying you know."

"I'm sure you will," Cedric replied with a grin.

"I'd love to go with you," Mikey said, struggling into a sitting position. "I'm leaving tomorrow to go to my Aunt's in Spain, believe me, it's not going to be fun. My gran will be there and she has a walking stick now and she's bloody lethal with it. She swings it around when she's talking and always manages to hit me with it no matter how far away from her I stand."

Frankie snorted and Cedric laughed. "Just me on my own then in a load of Ministry Festive Ball's. Lots of boring people talking about work. With most people staying at Hogwarts I'll bet I'll be the youngest person there!"

Cedric snapped the lid on his trunk firmly. He was only allowed to leave today via the floo network because he was a Triwizard champion and Dumbledore was offering him a little perk during the holidays and Mikey's father was high up in the Ministry, his father always arranged everything to suit himself and having his son home for Christmas suited him, so home Mikey was going. Mikey was being collected though and going straight to Spain where he would spend the Christmas period.

Cedric was only going home because his mother wanted him to. She had been pleased about the Yule Ball, but sad that she wouldn't have him home to fuss over, so his father had arranged matters with Dumbledore. It was a one off thing and Cedric was grateful for it in a way, with Mikey leaving tomorrow and Frankie involved in yet another fling with yet another girl he would end up joining various other groups of students at Hogwarts rather than be by himself, so really, he was better off at home where he could do whatever he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.

Also, it would give him some breathing space from Cho Chang. The pretty Ravenclaw was the year below him, and he had been spending a lot of time with her lately. She was fun to be around, she didn't giggle when he spoke to her and they'd had some very interesting conversations about Quidditch, politics and travelling. Cedric found he could converse with Cho on any subject and she had seemed a natural choice of partner for the Yule Ball, someone he would have a good time with. However, once he'd asked her, Cho had taken on a clinging quality that hadn't been in her before, she watched him talking with other girls so very carefully as if she was analysing his every movement and she always wanted to know who they were and how he knew them. She was beginning to wear on his nerves a little bit. A break between them might be just the thing they needed.

"Right, well I'm all ready," Cedric levitated his trunk and grabbed his backpack. "I'll see you guys in the New Year I guess."

"Guess so," Frankie replied gloomily. "Good thing Lara's here or I'd be bored out of my mind without you two."

Mikey narrowed his eyes as he glared at his friend. "Just stick to your own bed, Frankie. I don't want you getting it on in my bed."

"Nor mine!" Cedric told him firmly.

"Any objections to the floor, desk, wall or chair?" Frankie asked, his green eyes wide with innocence.

Mikey grinned. "Knock yourself out, mate."

"Cheers," Frankie grinned back and took a swig of water, rubbing his swirling stomach. "Drinking is not good for you,"

"No need to tell me," Mikey replied, touching his hand to his head again.

"You know what I was thinking," Frankie said as Cedric moved to the door.

"What?" Cedric glanced over his shoulder at his friend.

"One sure fire way to make your break interesting would be to have sex. Give your cock a Christmas present, Cedric, let him experience a few different women. " Frankie begged. "For once in your life let loose, Cedric," he continued when he saw the frown on his friends face. "Casual sex is great fun, providing your careful of course. We're still young, being with only a handful of girls all through our teens and twenties would be a crime! A waste!"

"I'd rather not get a reputation as an alley cat that'll stick to me for the rest of my life," Cedric responded. "Thanks for the advice though," he grinned.

Frankie threw up his hands with frustration. "Youth is wasted on the wrong people," he proclaimed loudly.

Cedric laughed. "I'll owl you both in a few days. See you both next year."

"Yeah, see you next year," Mikey called back.

"Have fun!" Frankie's voice echoed down the corridor, "I think I'm going to throw up!"

*

Cedric was bored out of his mind. As soon as he had arrived home, after the hugs and kisses off his mother she had informed him that there would be a party tonight in his honour seeming as he was a Hogwarts Champion. "Everyone will be there, darling," she had said, and immediately Cedric's heart had plummeted to his toes. That meant his fathers Ministry work colleagues would be there talking about official Ministry business and his father would brag him up and insist on him telling everyone about the first Triwizard task over and over again until everyone at the party could act it out for themselves.

He was not the youngest person at his home, there were quite a few young children running around the Christmas tree and playing together and there were some girls around his age, maybe a year or so either way between him and them, but they bored him senseless as well and he didn't stay in conversation with them very long.

Wandering idly from the kitchen with a cut glass goblet in his hand, Cedric made his way into the front room where most of the guests had congregated. Weaving his way among the laughing people he found himself in line with the Christmas tree and what he saw there stopped him dead in his tracks.

A young girl with dirty blonde hair and the biggest, wide spaced blue eyes he had ever seen stood to the side of the tree gazing up at the glittering star on top. She wore a silver dress with a high neck and cut away back that fell over her figure right the way down to the floor, and it shimmered in the light as she moved.

Moving almost trance like, Cedric went up beside her and cleared his throat to announce his arrival. The girl tilted her head to look up at him, she didn't seem surprised to have him materialise at her side, and no flicker of recognition crossed her face. Those blue eyes looked up at him dreamily, although slightly on the large side, the wide spaced setting gave her an almost exotic look, and the innocent dreaminess made her seem younger than she actually looked.

"Hi," Cedric greeted her when it became apparent she was not going to speak first.

"Hello," she responded, turning her attention away from him and back to the tree. "Lovely tree isn't it?"

"Um... Yeah, I guess so. My mum did a good job with it this year," Cedric said, extremely shocked to discover a hot flush washing over his body from the soft, dreamy voice.

The girl turned back to peer up at him, her blue eyes examining his face very carefully. "Oh yes, your Cedric Diggory,"

"That's right," he confirmed, searching his memory for a name to go with her face. She looked vaguely familiar, but Cedric couldn't place her, he wasn't sure if he even knew her. "I'm sorry, but I can't recall your name," he confessed.

"No, I don't suppose you would. It's been many years since we last spoke," she said quietly.

So he did know her, Cedric realised as he stared down into her face intently, but he couldn't for the life of him remember her. "When did we last speak?"

"At my mother's funeral," she told him, reaching out and plucking a stray hair off the sleeve of his robe.

Cedric shifted uncomfortably. "And when was that?" This was probably the worst conversation he'd had with any girl in his life! He wasn't coming across very well at all!

"Around seven years ago. I'm fourteen now, I was nine at the time. Luna Lovegood," she added when she saw he still didn't know her name, although she could see he had memories of the funeral.

"Oh yes, I remember. You've certainly grown up," Cedric bit his lip mortified. How could he have said something so ridiculous and patronising? She may certainly be older than the last time he had spoken to her, but she was still four years his junior. That meant she was off limits to him.

Unfortunately for Cedric, all he could hear was Frankie's voice echoing in his head telling him to have sex, to let loose and Luna Lovegood was the first girl in a long time to pique his interest. Of course, just because he wanted her, Cedric knew that didn't necessarily mean she wanted him, but in his experience, he very rarely came up against a turn down. He just attracted girls, it was the combination of his deep grey eyes and wavy sandy hair, his athletic body and easy manner that just seemed to charm them. Getting girls and dates had never been any problem for Cedric. Luna being younger than him immediately put him at a disadvantage, she might not be interested in boys yet, let alone be willing to jump into bed with him.

Cedric's hormones however were currently raging through his body not taking a blind bit of notice of the common sense part of him. He wanted to reach out and touch the bare, delicate white skin of her back. He wanted to run his finger tips down her spine and see what reaction that caused in her, and he didn't just want to touch. Cedric wanted to taste her flesh, press his lips against the small of her back and see what happened.

Swallowing, Cedric pulled his mind back into the present just as Luna started to speak again.

"Yes, I suppose we all grow up at some point don't we. It's sad to leave the innocence of childhood behind, but it's all part of living a life I suppose."

"Hum, I suppose." The only part of that sentence Cedric was able to focus on was the innocent part. His mind ran wild wondering if she was still innocent. Just because Luna was young was no guarantee of such a thing. From what he could discover girls were getting younger and younger in being willing to participate in sex.

"You're not very articulate are you?" Luna observed, a slight smile curling the corners of her lips.

A light flush crept into Cedric's cheeks but he smiled back easily. "That's not exactly my fault."

"Oh? Whose fault would it be?" she wondered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yours." The word left his mouth before he could stop it and Cedric mentally kicked himself. He should not have consumed so much alcohol tonight. Just because he was bored didn't mean drinking was the answer, except that it had felt that way earlier in the evening. Besides, Cedric knew he was far from drunk, he was good at holding his alcohol, he'd had just enough to drink to make him become a bit more open, and say things he really shouldn't say.

Luna's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "Me? What did I do?"

"You are very distracting," Cedric replied, his hazy grey eyes sweeping her body swiftly, the alcohol in him kicking in and suffocating his sense of decency.

"Oh," Luna appeared unconcerned with the comment. In fact, she didn't seem to pick up on any hidden meaning whatsoever. "I've never been called distracting before. Is that how you would describe me?"

"Exactly the way I would describe you," Cedric replied, jamming his free hand into his pocket to stop himself touching her lower lip that was pouted in thought.

"Well," Luna began thoughtfully. "As I don't know you well enough to have a firm opinion of you, I'll just stick to an observation and say that you are very handsome, Cedric,"

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, why? Does that bother you?"

The total opposite was in fact true. "If that's what you think," Cedric began slowly, curling a hand around her elbow and guiding her away from the tree towards the door. "Would I be safe in assuming that you would be attracted to me?"

His fingers smoothed over her bare elbow as they walked and Cedric was satisfied that her skin felt just as soft as it looked. This was far from enough contact for him, he really wanted to put his hands on her body and make sure that every inch of skin felt the same.

"That's a very common mistake, Cedric. You see, it is possible for a girl to appreciate your good looks but not be attracted to you," Luna explained mildly.

"What?" Cedric felt his little bubble of hope deflate in an instant. What hope was there for him if she wasn't attracted to him in the slightest?

"Didn't you know that?" she gave him a sympathetic look. "Never mind, now you know for the future don't you?"

"Do you include yourself in that?" He demanded, he still hadn't really gotten an answer to his question.

"No, not at all. But it is possible, Cedric." It didn't seem to faze Luna to admit her attraction to him at all, she stated it clearly and openly as though she had told him it had just started to snow outside.

"I'll admit it's possible," he agreed. "So long as you aren't one of those people, I can live with it," he grinned at her and she laughed.

"I don't see what difference I make in the grand scheme of things."

Guiding her to a secluded corner of the hallway, Cedric took his wand from the inner pockets of his robes and moved a small bundle of mistletoe across the ceiling to dangle above their heads. He was surprised to hear Luna's gasp of dismay as she tugged on his arm urgently.

"Send it back! Don't bring that stuff over here, it's invested with Nargles."

"With what?" Cedric stared stupidly at her.

"Oh please send it back, Cedric. I don't want Nargles around my head. They really are dreadful little pests and daddy will simply go mad if I take any home with me after he worked so hard to get rid of our infestation."

"I've never heard…."

"I'll lend you the copy of The Quibbler in which daddy did a feature length special on them, that will give you all the information that you need about Nargles."

"I see." Cedric hid his smile and sent the mistletoe back at Luna's request. So much for silly -romantic- that -ended -up -looking- rather -cheesy -gestures. He recalled then that Luna's father ran The Quibbler, he hadn't made the connection when she had told him who she was. The story on Nargles didn't seem so odd coming from her now.

"I suppose we'll just have to do without mistletoe then," he murmured, storing his wand back into his robes and cupping her face in his large hands.

"Were you planning on kissing me, Cedric?" Luna asked him, her voice full of interest.

"Among other things that were on my mind," he muttered, tilting her head back and lowering his mouth towards her. "You don't object do you?"

"Well, I think I might," she said, curling her fingers around his wrist and drawing her head back from his hands.

Cedric blinked, confusion crossing over his face. "But why? You did say that…"

Luna took a step back, interrupting him with a flick of her wrist. "Oh I'm not saying that I won't let you kiss me. Just not right now. It's not the time yet."

"It's not?" Cedric shrugged his shoulders and gave her a lopsided grin. "Seems like the time to me."

"No, the crystals were quite clear, our first kiss would not be when we first re-met," Luna told him firmly.

"The crystals?" Now Cedric was completely baffled by this strange girl who caused such wild desires in his body. "Are you a Seer or something?"

"Not exactly, maybe when I get older the Sight may come to me, but I doubt it. It would be nice though. I'm very adept at Divination." She leant forward and said in a stage whisper. "I took a little peek into our future. I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist."

Cedric was interested in spite of his scepticism on the subject of Divination. He felt that only true Seer's had the Sight, it could not be taught. But still, an open mind was a knowledgeable mind, and if this was the way in which to get his hands on Luna Lovegood then Cedric would go down the road of Divination. At least he would know how long he would have to wait, it might make it easier if he knew how close to getting her he was, because Cedric was happy to admit that he really desperate for Luna and hoped she wanted him too.

It was incredible, this unmistakable pull he had towards a girl who was, when all was said and done, a complete stranger to him! Somehow, in only this brief meeting, she had enchanted and drew him more than any other girl he had ever known.

Frankie had spoken before of an instant attraction between two people, he had experienced it during the summer holidays and couldn't wait to tell his friends on his return to Hogwarts. Frankie had told him it had been an instant animalistic urge, pure raw, unadulterated sex with someone you just had to have no matter what. Frankie had said that all it took was one look and they had both known what was going to happen.

Cedric didn't know if this was the feeling that Frankie was talking about. Luna didn't give any indication that she was aware that he was feeling the things that he was, and although there were animalistic thoughts running through his mind, Cedric couldn't say he felt that pure sex was the way he wished it to go where Luna was concerned.

Pushing thoughts of sex from his mind, Cedric said, "What did you see then?"

"Another party," Luna told him, "In a big hall, it was very fancy and I think we were there together, at least I saw us standing together. I made the assumption that we had gone together."

"So we shall," Cedric informed her. "That's probably one of the Ministry's parties, they have one every night over the Christmas holidays for one thing or another. My dad works at the Ministry so we always go. How would you like to accompany me to a party every night this week?"

"I'd like that," Luna smiled radiantly. "How lovely."

"Tell me, did the crystals tell you which party I'd get my kiss at?" Cedric asked, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms over his chest, a smile playing across his lips.

"No, but I can tell you."

"Go on then, enlighten me," he laughed at the mischievous look on her face.

"I think I'll keep it as a surprise," Luna said airily. "Oh, and it's coming up to midnight, I'd better be running along home, if I'm going to be out every night with you I'll need the rest,"

"You can't leave," Cedric complained, trailing after her as she moved effortlessly between the thinning crowd of guests. "I'll be bored. Besides, it'll drive me mad all night if you don't tell me which party it will be."

Gathering up her skirts to ensure that they didn't catch on the fender Luna stepped into the fireplace and picked up a handful of floo powder. "I told you, it's a surprise. It's not necessary for you to know everything at once, Cedric."

Cedric frowned, "You know."

"I took the trouble to look," Luna reminded him, her eyes dancing with amusement. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cedric. Have pleasant dreams."

With those parting words Cedric watched her disappear in the dancing green flames. His face twisted into a grimace and he nodded at his mother who was waving him over to say goodbye to some guests.

A small satisfied smile twitched at the corners of his lips, he knew exactly what he was going to dream about tonight, and he couldn't wait until tomorrow!


	2. Tingly

Chapter 2

Tingly

Luna Lovegood sighed heavily as she glared at her reflection in the full-length mirror in the changing room of Madam Milkins. The dress she was currently try on did wonders for her hips, but it did make her chest look rather flat. She hadn't been blessed with an overly generous cleavage, at least not yet, but she had the makings of nice breasts and she was anxious to ensure that they were displayed at their best if she was going to be out with Cedric tonight.

It was absolutely imperative that Cedric saw her as a woman and not as a child. Being four years younger than him put her at a disadvantage, although, that having been said, Cedric had certainly been interested in her the previous night.

Luna smiled and butterflies exploded in her stomach when she recalled the smoky look in his eyes as he had held her face in preparation for a kiss. She exhaled slowly, her hand pressing to her abdomen, how lovely it would be to be held and kissed by Cedric Diggory.

Everything was moving along nicely so far, no little hiccups at all in her plan of ensnaring Cedric. Luna had been rather worried the previous evening when she had seen him talking to those other girls at the party, all of them much nearer his age than she was, but, as it turned out, she needn't have worried about them, it was she he had come after.

Her Aunt had been right when she had insisted that she buy the silver dress. Luna had thought she would never have an opportunity to wear such a beautiful dress, so when the invitation to the Diggory's party, in honour of Cedric, had been delivered to her home Luna had been thrilled. She had both opportunities right in front of her, a chance to wear the dress and the chance to capture Cedric's attention. Luna was in no doubt that it had been the dress that had first captured Cedric's attention, how could it not? It was rather a daring dress for someone of her age, but if she had to battle older girls for Cedric, then she needed to look the part.

Going back into her little cubicle, Luna changed into a pale pink dress off the shoulder dress that fell just to her knee. She gazed at herself in shock when she returned before the mirror. Surely this was what was termed a "naked dress". The fabric shimmered slightly in the light, but at first glance anyone could be mistaken for thinking she was naked. Luna debated, the dress would not be suitable for her first official date with Cedric, but it could certainly be used in an emergency, if Cedric was slow to make his move. She would buy the dress and keep it just in case.

In the end, Luna chose a lilac dress to add to the five she had chosen so far to wear during the week. She simply had to look the best that she could and she had spent most of the morning trying on dresses.

Madam Milkin smiled when Luna placed her purchases on the counter. "Made up your mind then, dear?"

"Yes, I'll take these for now."

"I do hope he's worth all this time and effort," the older woman winked at her.

Luna smiled, "Oh I'm sure he will be." She left the shop still smiling and wandered down to The Leakey Caldron. Cedric would be everything she wanted, Luna was sure of it. He would be exactly what she dreamed about, somehow she sensed it.

*

Cedric brushed his hair back from his face and examined himself in the mirror. He looked good in his new dress robes, purchased for the Yule Ball, his shoes were nice and shiny and his eyes were bright with barely concealed excitement. Cedric had been wishing time away all day, just waiting for the moment he could see Luna again. He was desperately waiting to see if she really did look as good as he remembered, if the attraction was as strong as he thought it was and it hadn't just been the alcohol in his system.

He had owled her earlier, just to let her know that he was going to pick her up at her home. Cedric figured it was better for him that way, considering he was older than she was. He didn't want Luna's father giving her a hard time over him, Mr Lovegood might put a stop to her accompanying him to the Ball's this week, and Cedric didn't want that to happen.

Taking a calming breath, Cedric walked from his room. He was acting like a complete idiot who had never had a date before, all nervous and jittery and Cedric couldn't understand why. His parents had gone to the Ministry a few minutes ago, and he had been excused from having to formerly join them once he arrived. So long as his son was there, Amos Diggory didn't seem to mind that it wasn't with him.

"The Rook House," Cedric announced, as he stepped into the fireplace. A rush of dancing green flames and a few seconds later, Cedric found himself stepping into the oddest room he had ever seen.

Not one stick of furniture matched, the pictures on the walls were all haphazard and there were brightly coloured rag rugs all over the floor. Cedric notice various artefacts crowding the surfaces of the room, some looked like creatures, others he had no idea what they were supposed to be. A grin twitched his lips, from the little that he knew of Mr Lovegood, Cedric felt that this room suited the man just perfectly.

"Ah, you're young Diggory,"

Cedric turned towards a doorway and nodded, remembering Mr Lovegood immediately. How could you forget a man who looked this way? "Yes, that's right. I've come to collect Luna, Sir," he held out his hand and shook Mr Lovegood's.

"Splendid, splendid. I'm sure she'll have a lovely time. Do excuse me, I only came down to get myself a cup of springinger tea, helps me to concentrate you see, and I'm in the middle of a very important article about Jucinda Beetles. I'll give Luna a call when I go up. Enjoy yourself, Diggory," Mr Lovegood patted Cedric on the shoulder and mounted the stairs. "Luna, pumpkin, Mr Diggory is here for you!"

Cedric just stared after the old man with his jaw hanging slack. Mr Lovegood was not what he had expected. The man hadn't even given him a time to bring Luna home, and that tea he was carrying smelt vile!

Footsteps sounded on the landing and then came hurrying down the stairs. "Cedric," Luna beamed to see him standing in her front room, looking so dashing and striking and rather out of place in the clutter. "Don't you look handsome," she commented.

Cedric smiled and offered his hand to her. "I wish I could return the compliment, but your robe is hiding your outfit."

Luna smiled again. "I guess you'll just have to wait until we get to the Ministry to give me your full appraisal."

"No sneaky peek?" he teased.

"Sorry," she laughed and tugged him forward. "Let's go, I've been looking forward to this all day."

"So have I," he admitted, crowding into the fireplace next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "To the Ministry of Magic Function Room."

Luna was almost hopping with excitement when they arrived. She could hear the sounds of music floating from the function room to the little hallway where they had to produce their invitation and sign their names. Cedric steered her to the cloak room where a house elf scurried to relieve them of their robes and cloaks.

"Ready?" he queried, turning back for her. "Wow!"

Luna flushed as Cedric's eyes swept over her from head to toe and back again. She noticed his fingers flexing at his side and her heart beat picked up its pace. "Do I meet with your approval?"

"Absolutely," Cedric assured her, swallowing past his dry throat. How could just looking at Luna have such an intense affect upon his system? She was undeniably beautiful this evening, with her hair piled on top of her head, wearing a pale lilac dress that reached to the floor, fanning out around her feet, the waist pinched in, no straps in sight, leaving her shoulders bare and enticing and cutting around her breasts in such an inviting way that they caught his eye and held his attention.

As alluring as the dress was, Cedric just wanted to rip the material from her body and bury his face against the round, plump flesh of her breasts; he wanted to know how they would look, how they would feel in his hands. Clearing his throat, Cedric hooked an arm across her shoulders and guided her into the Ball Room itself.

"Oh!" Luna clasped her hands together. "It's lovely." She gazed around at the beautiful silver and gold decorations that covered the Room, from the glittering candles on the ceiling to the Christmas scenes on the walls and the festive table settings, everything shouted Christmas Celebrations, and Luna was delighted to be a part of it. Especially, she was delighted to be there with Cedric and treasured his reaction to her dress in the back of her mind where she could later examine it at her leisure while she waited to drift off to sleep.

"Certainly is," Cedric muttered, his eyes drifting down her body again. Her skin was warm and soft under his hand and it just fuelled his desire to touch her.

"Do you dance, Cedric?"

"Sure, I'm ok I suppose. Do you want to dance?"

"Oh yes, if you wouldn't mind dancing with me?" Luna titled her head to look up at him.

"Not at all." Dancing with her would give him a legitimate excuse to hold Luna closer, to press her against his body, and Cedric was going to take it. He led her out onto the dance floor, twirled her around and drew her against him, his hand resting comfortably at the base of her spine which enabled him to keep complete control over the movement of their bodies.

"You're a very nice dancer," Luna commented, happy to allow Cedric to sweep her around the dance floor to the rich tunes that were playing.

"Thank you. You aren't so bad yourself," Cedric replied, drawing her closer.

"Do we need to be this close?" Luna wondered, glancing at the other couples on the floor. "No-one else seems to be."

"Does it bother you?" he asked, a sinking feeling resting in the pit of his stomach.

"No." Luna glanced shyly up at him from under her lashes. Now that she was actually acting out her plan, she couldn't help but feel out of her depth. Luna didn't have the experience with boys that Cedric would have with girls. "I just wondered."

Cedric's lips curled into a smile. "I like you close to me." Inwardly he cringed, he sounded corny and cheesy and he wanted to kick himself. Why did stupid things pop out of his mouth when he was trying to be smooth and sexy? It didn't happen with any other girl so far as he could remember, it was just Luna.

Cedric was somewhat gratified to hear the breath catch in Luna's throat at his words. Hopefully he was having the same ridiculous affect upon her that she was having on him.

"Have I told you how beautiful you look tonight, Luna?" Oh hell, Cedric figured he might as well go for full out corniness and cheese, considering everything he said sounded that way whether he meant it to or not.

Luna flushed, he looked awkward, as though she weren't used to receiving compliments and wasn't sure what to do with them. Cedric found that hard to believe, how could no other man see what he saw.

"Thank you. I chose this dress for you, and I thought you might like my hair this way," she added.

"I like the dress and I'd like your hair all ways," Cedric replied. "Luna, you don't have to try with me," he said quietly.

"I didn't want you to regret asking me to come along with you."

"I don't think I could regret it," Cedric admitted, squeezing her waist lightly.

*

They danced, and ate and danced some more. Cedric was cornered into telling the story of the Triwizard Tournament to those who had not yet heard it and Luna met some nice new people. When she was back in Cedric's arms again, once more waltzing around the dance floor Luna felt as though her night couldn't possibly get any better.

"Are you having a good time?" Cedric asked, slowing his movements.

"Oh yes, it's lovely. Thank you for bringing me. Am I managing to keep your boredom at bay?"

"The only time I've been bored is when I've been telling the story of the First Task," Cedric sighed heavily. "Why do people insist on having me retell that story?"

"It's interesting, Cedric. There hasn't been a Tournament at Hogwarts for years, and to meet a real Champion is thrilling. Don't you realise how special you are?"

Cedric frowned, "I don't follow you, what do you mean? I'm not special."

"Oh but you are," she assured him. "Out of all the people who put their names in the Goblet of Fire, yours came out. That proves your special, that you have something in you that others don't have."

"You think that, do you, Luna?" he asked, pulling her closer into his hips.

Luna swallowed nervously, the rhythm of his hips moving against hers was primitive and erotic, causing a strange fluttering in her core that she hadn't experienced before. "Yes," she replied breathlessly. It was the only reply Luna felt able to give.

Cedric saw it, the flare of Luna's eyes, and satisfaction coursed through his body. She was just as uncomfortable and aroused as he was. Although Cedric couldn't actually pin point the cause of his arousal, it was just her. Just having Luna pressed close to him was enough to drive him wild. His hand slid from the base of Luna's spine to cup her behind and push her hips tighter against his own.

"Cedric!" Luna gasped, her cheeks flushing and her eyes darting around the room.

He released her immediately, taking a careful step back from her. "Sorry, Luna. I'd forgotten where we are." Noticing her unsteady breathing and the pretty flush of her cheeks, Cedric tilted his head and asked, "Could it be tonight, Luna? Our kiss, is it tonight?"

She swallowed and nodded once in response. Luna couldn't speak, she felt as though every word she had ever known had dried up on her tongue.

Sliding his arm around her waist, Cedric steered Luna through the dancing crowd and out onto the balcony. The balcony was always open and inviting to guests during a party, although during the winter, in spite of the warming charms placed on it, not many guests ventured onto the balcony. Luna was so distracted by Cedric that she hardly noticed the holly, ivy, mistletoe and tinsel all entwined together around the wrought iron railings.

"Luna? Are you alright?" Cedric questioned when she stepped from him towards the railings.

She nodded. "Yes."

He smiled slightly, "Are you nervous? Do I make you uncomfortable?"

"No," she said quietly. "I like the way I feel when I'm with you."

"And what way is that?" Cedric asked, his voice low, almost desperate.

"Pretty," she murmured, turning to look at him, lifting her hand to touch lightly to his lips. "Among other things."

Cedric swallowed, his lips moving over her fingers as he spoke. "What other things?"

Luna seemed to consider her answer, and Cedric found he was holding his breath waiting for her to speak. "I… I get tingly."

"Tingly?" he echoed, Cedric felt he knew exactly what Luna meant. She made him all tingly and hot.

"Yes." Brushing her fingers over the top of her breasts Luna said, "Here. I get tingly here. And…" she trailed off, her face flushing again as her eyes lowered from his face.

Cedric's heart kick-started so violently he thought for a moment that it was going to burst right out of his chest. He was hyper-ventilating, his blood was rushing through his veins and he thought his head might explode. Cedric yanked at his collar, tugging at his bow-tie with annoyance, where the hell was all the air in this part of the Ministry?

Luna looked sad, her lips dipping down in the corners. "You don't feel anything."

"Are you insane?" Cedric finally managed to undo his bow-tie and took a deep steadying breath.

"So they say," she muttered, turning back towards the railings.

Cedric reached for her, turning her sharply to face him. Luna gazed up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Are you going to kiss me now?"

"Yes. Whether your rotten crystals say it's the right time or not," Cedric replied firmly, his arms wrapping securely around her. Without another word, Cedric lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her softly. Willingly, Luna's lips parted beneath his, inviting him to deepen the kiss. Slipping his tongue into her mouth Cedric groaned at his first real taste of her.

Luna's hands grabbed tightly to Cedric's shoulders, her head falling back, her body melting against his as he kissed her harder. Her body ached into Cedric's, the hard lines of his body so very different to the soft curves of her own, and she shuddered as his tongue plundered her mouth, ravaging the softness within.

Drawing back from her, Cedric breathed deeply. There was something that he couldn't put his finger on, something that was screaming at him, staring him in the face, but for the life of him he couldn't work out what it was.

"Last night I dreamt that you did that," Luna murmured, her eyes fluttering open to gaze dreamily up at him.

"Oh?" Cedric had experienced a similar dream, expect in his she had been naked, she had been under him and he had been buried inside her.

"I'm sorry if it was not what you were expecting."

"I… what? Why wouldn't it be?" Cedric's eyebrows drew together in a confused frown.

"I don't have any experience in this type of situation. I'm not sure if I did it right," Luna explained.

It astounded Cedric that she could make such an announcement in much the same tone that she would use to tell a Professor she wasn't sure if her homework was correct. But then again, why should she be ashamed to say it? There was a first kiss for everyone. That was it! That was the feeling he couldn't put his finger on, the innocent inexperience. He was her first kiss! His evening was just getting better and better.

In spite of her inexperience, Cedric noticed that Luna was looking at him with eyes that were hot and greedy, but what did he care? He wanted to be devoured by her.

Manoeuvring Luna backwards into the shadows, Cedric pressed her against the wall, his fingers running up her back, burying themselves in her hair as his kiss deepened, his tongue exploring her mouth thoroughly, stroking and teasing. Luna's arms flung themselves around his neck and she kissed him back, a blazing kiss that hit Cedric's groin quicker than any kiss had any right to do.

She pressed herself closer to him, her body tight against his chest and the wall, just where Cedric wanted it to be. The erotic tentative flick of her tongue over his drove him wild, and Cedric was ready to gather up her dress, press himself between her thighs and enter her fully, burying himself side her until his world consisted only of Luna.

He was currently crazed enough to do just that, right here on the balcony, but the way his body was spinning so rapidly out of control, Cedric knew he was liable to take her hard and fast and that was not the experience her first time should be. He was going to be her first, Cedric was resolute about that, if it took him the rest of his time at Hogwarts, Cedric was determined to be Luna's first.


	3. Until Tonight

Chapter 3

Until Tonight

Cedric woke the next morning with a throbbing erection. He sighed heavily, he wasn't surprised considering the dream he had just been immersed in. The best dream he had ever had as a matter of fact, where Luna was the centre, her soft skin his to touch as he pleased, her delicate mouth his to ravage as he wanted and her luscious body open and inviting beneath him.

Cedric swallowed hard, he just had to see her today, he wasn't willing to wait until this evening. Climbing out of bed and pulling a red bathrobe around him, Cedric wondered what would be the best thing to do, would Luna come to him, or should he go to her? It would be difficult to kiss her and touch her should they have to stay indoors though, and Cedric did want to touch and kiss Luna as much as he possibly could.

As he crossed the landing to the bathroom, Cedric could hear the sound of his mother making breakfast, the rich smell of bacon wafting up the stairs to him. He was hungry alright, but not for bacon. Cedric was hungry for Luna, and the knowledge surprised him. As soon as she was out of his sight Luna materialised in his mind, she had invaded his dreams for the past two nights and Cedric couldn't really understand it, after all, she was still a relative strange to him, he knew nothing whatsoever about her.

Jumping into the shower, Cedric felt the relief when his erection sprung free from his boxer shorts. He turned the shower on, letting the icy cold water pelt his skin like little needle points, but the temperature of the water did nothing to cool the fiery blood in his veins. Cedric let his hand drift down his stomach, his mind elsewhere, focused on Luna, on the way she tasted and the way she trembled when he kissed her.

He groaned softly when his hand curled around his erection. How different Luna would feel to the familiarity of his hand. She would be tight and warm, wet and delicate; and she would give herself over to him completely; Cedric knew that just from the way she kissed him, her tongue tentative and exploring, her lips eager and delicious.

Cedric saw Luna behind his eyes, her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders, her face flushed and her big blue eyes wide and glittering with pleasure and innocence. Her hands gripped him tightly, her body arching up to his as he moved on top of her. Luna's lips parted and she started calling his name over and over again, chanting it like a mantra.

"CEDRIC! Are you listening to me? How much longer are you going to be? I need the toilet!"

Cedric came back into the bathroom, climaxing violently. He blinked, dragging in a deep breath as his heart raced in his chest.

"Cedric! Can you hear me? Are you alright in there?" Amos Diggory called again.

"Y…Yes," Cedric called back. "I'll only be a minute."

Hurriedly, Cedric finished washing and knocked off the shower. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he opened the bathroom door and was almost knocked off his feet when his father rushed past him into the room.

Laughing quietly, Cedric made his way back to his bedroom and sat at his desk. Pulling out a piece of parchment and a quill he penned a short note to Luna informing her that he would call round to see her after breakfast and asking her to send a reply back if that was inconvenient. Cedric hoped it wouldn't be, he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, he wanted to kiss her again.

After dressing and going down to the kitchen, Cedric enjoyed a nice home cooked breakfast and a chat with his mother, who informed him that his father had drank too much the night before and they were all out of anti-hangover potions. Cedric grinned, that explained the shouting and hammering on the bathroom door.

"So, darling, what plans do you have for today? Would you like to come shopping with me?"

"Um, thanks mum, but I'm actually going over to see Luna straight after breakfast," Cedric replied.

"Luna? Luna Lovegood?"

"Yep,"

"You took her to the Ball last night, didn't you?"

"That's right," Cedric agreed.

"Such a sweet girl. Such a shame about her mother dying so young. Luna was only a child when it happened," his mother mused.

"Yeah, I know," Cedric said, pity welling up in his chest when he thought about Luna without a mother. Finishing his breakfast and putting his plate in the sink he wrapped an arm around his mothers shoulders and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "We'll do something tomorrow if you like?"

His mother smiled brightly, laughing and twitching her dish cloth at him. "Silly boy. That will be lovely, we'll go out and have lunch."

"See you later mum," Cedric waved as he left the kitchen, heading to the fireplace.

"Bye darling," she called back.

*

Luna was sitting curled up in the corner of the sofa flicking through a magazine as she waited for Cedric to arrive. She had been so excited to receive his note this morning, even though she was going to another party with him this evening, it seemed so far away. Such a long time not to see Cedric. Luna smiled softly, she couldn't help but wonder if Cedric would kiss her again today.

The rush of green flames in the grate alerted her to Cedric's arrival. Putting her magazine to one side, Luna rose to greet him. "Hello, Cedric."

"Hi, Luna. What the hell is that noise?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling where a loud thumping noise vibrated.

"Daddy's printing out the next copy of The Quibbler," Luna explained. "Come on, come with me."

"Where?"

"This noise will drive you crazy, you aren't used to it, Cedric. We'll go out for a little walk, daddy's going out in a while to do some research, the noise will have stopped then and we can come back," Luna said, putting on her coat and jamming a purple bobble hat onto her head. "Ready?"

"Let's go," Cedric opened the door for her and followed her into the garden.

There was a light frost on the ground and their feet scrunched as they walked down the path and out onto the hillside. They wandered in comfortable silence down the hill, the trees bare branches standing out starkly against the grey sky, large white clouds heavy with snow drifted overhead and the cold air was sharp in their lungs.

"Looks like it might snow later," Cedric commented, glancing up at the sky.

"I do hope so! I love the snow," Luna replied, clasping her gloved hands together. "My favourite pastime in the winter is to sit in the window with a mug of coco and watch the snow flakes dancing around and have a big roaring fire behind me."

Cedric watched her as she spoke, her cheeks flushed pink from the bite of the wind. "Sounds good," he said quietly. Although, in his mind, he was with her and they were watching the snowflakes from in front of the fire where they lay naked on a fur rug.

"Yes, it's very calming. I can spend hours just watching the snow fall," Luna sighed softly. "You know what else is nice? Walking in the snow. It's so delightful to walk in the snow, and have those flakes sitting on your eyelashes and on your nose. Each snowflake is unique, Cedric, did you know that?"

"No, I didn't know that," he admitted, reaching up and knocking an icicle off a overhanging branch. Smiling crookedly at her, Cedric said, "I think you're like a snowflake, I've never met anyone like you before. You're unique, Luna."

She beamed up at him. "Thank you, Cedric. I can't say that I've ever met anyone like you before either. You're the only one who makes me feel all squirmy on the inside," Luna said, tucking her scarf closer around her neck.

"Squirmy?" Cedric repeated, "Is that good?"

"Of course."

Cedric laughed, "It's just that when I was little and had a bad stomach I used to say that I had a squirmy tummy. Squirmy makes me think of being ill."

Luna laughed, "That's so sweet. Aren't you cute, Cedric."

"I'm not sure that I can pull off cute any more," he replied as they came abreast of the river that ran along the bottom of the hill where Luna's house was.

"No, I suppose that you've outgrown cute," Luna agreed, picking up a stick and tossing it into the murky river, watching as the current caught hold of it and the stick swirled away. "Now you're just handsome. Breathtakingly so," she added. Smiling and blushing slightly, Luna turned away from him to watch the river.

Cedric was silent for a few minutes, watching Luna as she hopped onto a rock and began to pick her way across the river. "Luna, could you come back over here, you're making me nervous."

"Alright."

"Luna, I really…Luna!" Cedric dove forward as Luna wobbled on her rock, her foot slipping on the wet surface causing her to tumble into the icy water. Jumping into the river, Cedric waded across to the thrashing figure of Luna as she battled against the swirling current. Reaching out, he grabbed hold of her arm and yanked her forcefully against his chest, almost knocking them both back into the water.

Luna coughed and spluttered as Cedric dragged her to the bank, helping her out onto dry land. She collapsed onto her knees, bending her head and dragging in a deep lungful of fresh, clean air.

"Are you alright?" Cedric leant over her, smoothing her wet and tangled hair from her face.

"Y…yes," she stammered, her body shivering with cold. "I'm just cold."

"Then we'd better get back to your house," Cedric said, holding her close to him as he spun on the spot and apperated back up the hill to land on the doorstep of The Rook house.

Once inside, Luna peeled off her gloves and shrugged out of her coat. "You had better let me have your clothes, Cedric."

"That's alright, I can use a drying spell."

"No, you'd better let me have them. I'll need to wash them with special powder, there's an infestation of Hamergirdles in the river and I don't want them to cling to your clothes and breed," Luna explained, kicking off her shoes and pulling off her socks.

"The noise has stopped," Cedric commented, taking his coat off.

"Daddy's gone out then," Luna replied, "Would you like to take a warm shower while your clothes are being washed, Cedric?"

"Um, yeah ok," Cedric agreed, shivering in his wet things.

"Bathroom's upstairs, second on the right, you can throw your things down to me," Luna told him, heading into the kitchen in search of the powder with which to wash their clothes.

When Cedric came back downstairs a few minutes later, with a white bathrobe on, there was a fire dancing in the grate, a mug of coco waiting for him on the coffee table and the curtains were drawn wide open to give a great view of the falling snow.

"It's started snowing," Cedric commented, as he crossed the room to stand beside Luna who was gazing out of the window wrapped up in a deep pink bathrobe.

"Yes, I'm so glad it has," she turned slightly and sucked in a sharp breath as Cedric's scent invaded her nostrils. "The bathrobe is a spare, I bought it for daddy a year or so ago and he's never used it. He hardly uses his old one now either, he just doesn't stay up late at night reading like he used to. He and mummy were always sitting up late researching."

"I guess it's a big wrench having someone disappear out of your life that way," Cedric sympathised.

"It is," she agreed. "Well, I'm going to have a quick shower as well, get the smell of river water out of my hair. I won't be long. I've made you some coco," Luna pointed to the coffee table.

"I saw it, thanks," Cedric took up the mug and blew on the hot liquid. Once Luna had disappeared up the stairs, Cedric took to wandering around the living room, examining artefacts and pictures and reading the frames articles that he noticed were mostly written by Luna's mother. It was better that he nosed about the place, that way he managed to keep himself from wandering up the stairs and into the shower with Luna.

Luna was true to her word, she didn't take long and came bounding down the stairs her long hair bouncing over her shoulder, the damp tendrils at her temple curling. Cedric swallowed, Luna had no idea how alluring she really was, and that just aroused him even more. He sat himself down on the sofa, feeling that sitting and bunching the robe about his lap would be the easiest way to hide his stirring body.

"Mmmm, I think coco is my favourite drink," Luna declared, taking a sip out of her mug. She took a cushion from the chair and dropped it at Cedric's feet, curling up on it like a cat. "How's yours? I wasn't sure how you liked it."

Cedric's eyes locked with hers. "I like it any way you want to give it."

Luna flushed and dropped her eyes. "I … I didn't have any marshmallows," she murmured.

"I can live without them," he replied, placing his mug back on the table. Luna's eyes lifted again and scanned his face, Cedric had a strange feeling that Luna could somehow see into the very core of him, and he worried that she would see how strong his obsession with her was becoming and he had only known her for forty eight hours. "So, what kind of dress do you have for tonight?" Cedric asked, hoping to divert his own attention from thinking about getting naked with her right now.

Luna smiled, "That's a surprise. I'm really looking forward to it."

"You're father didn't mind that you were home so late?" Cedric wondered.

"No," Luna shook her head. "He knew I was with you."

"Doesn't that bother him? Knowing that I'm older than you are," Cedric prompted, he couldn't help but think that Mr Lovegood was easing him into a false sense of security and was going to ambush him with the over-protective father routine sooner rather than later.

"When daddy gets to know you he'll really like you, Cedric. Besides, daddy trusts you," she promised.

"He does?" Cedric's smile fell quickly into a frown. "I'm not sure I like that."

Luna laughed, "I don't see why not. It just means that I get to spend as much time with you as you want me to without any hassle from my father. I would have thought that was a good thing."

"That's very useful," Cedric agreed.

Overlapping her hands and placing them on his knee, Luna rested her chin on her hands and gazed up at him. "Cedric, can I ask you about the egg you had to retrieve in the first task? Can you tell me what the significance of it is? You don't have to talk about the Tournament if you don't want to, I know that it annoys you that people keep talking about it."

"I don't mind," Cedric sighed softly. "It's a clue for the next task, when I open it there's this high pitched shrieking noise. I'm supposed to decipher it in time for the second task or I won't be able to complete it. So far I'm not doing so well," he admitted with a frown.

"Did you bring the egg home with you?"

"Yes, it's sitting on my desk in my room. I haven't looked at it yet."

"Would you like some help with it? I'd be happy to help you any way I can," Luna offered.

Cedric reached out and touched a damp curl near her temple. Her hair was soft between his fingers and the scent of peaches wafted towards him. "Thanks, I'd like that."

"So would I," she whispered, catching her lower lip between her teeth. "I'd like to spend more time with you, Cedric. If you'd like me to of course."

"For what I have on my mind, Luna, you'll have to spend a lot of time with me," Cedric replied, his voice rasping against his throat. His hand dropped from her hair to the nape of her neck, "Come closer to me," he requested thickly.

Luna complied, shifting onto her knees. Cedric wasn't totally sure what happened next, or who made what move. All he was aware of was that one moment they were separated by air, and the next his mouth was against hers, pressing hard, forcing her lips apart and he was thrusting his tongue into her mouth, stroking her tongue, exploring her completely.

At the sound of her gasp, Cedric pulled back. "Sorry…."

"Oh no, please don't be sorry. I was just surprised that's all," Luna touched a hand to his cheek. "I really like it when you kiss me."

Cedric grinned, "That's good, because I really like it too." With a tug on her arm, Cedric drew her closer to him until she was lying over his chest. She was light against his body, and her blonde hair surrounded her face like a halo, framing her face with his hands, Cedric spread his legs, allowing Luna's body to fall easily between them, increasing the pressure where he was hard, thick and hot.

Luna gasped quietly at the feel of his erection against her stomach which caused a fluttering between her legs. But she didn't have much time to think about things as Cedric drew her closer to him and kissed her again, his tongue easing into her mouth with slow, practiced movements, as he kissed her deeply and fiercely.

She moaned softly against his mouth, her hands clawing through his hair as she kissed him back. A hot lick of desire moved through her body setting every nerve ending tingling. The fluttering feeling became slightly more intense when she felt Cedric's hand cup her behind and press her into his arousal.

Luna suddenly felt as though she were on fire. She was so hot, and her bathrobe felt so heavy and restrictive. Cedric abruptly broke the kiss and she blinked in confusion, staring at him with wide blue eyes that immediately saw the wild, sexual hunger in Cedric's hot grey eyes. He was breathing hard, and she could barely breathe at all, her body trembling with a desire to have him hold her close and touch her in ways she had never been touched before.

Cedric's lips touched to the corner of her mouth, to her chin, trailing light kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Luna's head tilted back as his fingers curled around the lapels of her bathrobe, his breath hot and harsh against her throat, moving down her chest, dangerously close to the opening of her robe.

"Cedric," she whispered breathlessly when his mouth pressed against her chest, just at the parting of her bathrobe.

The rush of cold air shocked Luna out of her daze and the slamming of the front door made them both jump. The sound of feet stamping on the mat had Luna wriggling out of Cedric's arms so quickly she almost fell off his lap. She did manage to plonk herself back on the cushion before her father walked into the room.

Cedric's heart was beating rapidly in his chest, panic curling its way up from the pit of his stomach. Mr Lovegood was going to go nuts! He was going to kick him out into the snow in a bathrobe and accuse him of all sorts! What was more, the man would be right.

Mr Lovegood entered the room, he had shed his coat already and taken off his shoes. He paused and surveyed them both for a few seconds, which seemed to Cedric to drag on forever. "Fell in the river again did you?" Mr Lovegood questioned, looking at Luna with affectionate eyes.

"Yes," Luna confirmed. "Cedric jumped in to save me."

"Thank you very much, Cedric. Good thing you were there. Haven't I told you not to go clambering around on the rocks in the winter? They are far too slippery and dangerous, Luna," he scolded.

"I know. I'm sorry daddy."

Mr Lovegood nodded and crossed the room to retrieve his slippers from beside the fire. "Toasty," he commented. "Did you use the special powder when washing the clothes, Luna? We don't want to get an infestation of Hamergirdles, they cling to the fabric and breed so very quickly."

"I used it," Luna assured him.

"Good girl. I've had a letter from a subscriber claiming to have seen signs of the Reffina Elf near their home, so I've been out having a look, but the snow has started to fall too thickly to be able to find anything," Mr Lovegood turned to Cedric. "The Reffina Elf was thought to be a surviving species from Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Cedric questioned. "As in the Lost City? The one under the water?"

"What other Atlantis? If I could just find the Reffina Elf, I could perhaps find out if all my research on Atlantis is correct. The magical sources in that city would be something to behold," he finished dreamily.

"I don't know much about Atlantis," Cedric admitted.

"Well, I won't bore you with it," Mr Lovegood laughed and mounted the stairs. "I know I can be a bit of a dud when it comes to Atlantis, other's don't share my enthusiasm."

"Good luck with the research," Cedric offered. Once Mr Lovegood was safely out of ear shot, Cedric rounded on Luna, hissing, "What's the deal? He comes in here and sees us in bathrobes and he doesn't even blink. Doesn't he know what it looks like?"

"Yes of course he knows what I looks like," Luna said, "But daddy doesn't judge, and I told you before, daddy trusts you, Cedric."

Cedric scowled, "I definitely don't like that,"

She giggled, "Well, our clothes should be dry by now, and I'd better get on with fixing lunch for daddy, time is getting on you know. I'll have to start getting ready for the Ball soon."

"I suppose I had better go," Cedric agreed, disappearing into the kitchen and dressing quickly. "I'll come by for you at six o'clock."

"I'll see you then," she replied, swinging up onto her tip toe to kiss his cheek. "I had a very nice afternoon."

Cedric's eyes darkened as he stared down at her, touching her cheek gently he said, "Until tonight,"


	4. So Much More

Chapter 4

So Much More

Butterflies zipped around Luna's stomach like escaped snitches. It had taken her ages to get ready for tonight, her hands trembling so badly that she kept knocking herself in the temple with her hair brush and had even poked herself in the eye with her mascara.

Cedric's reaction to her had been worth all the extra time she'd been forced to spend on herself that afternoon. His arm hadn't left her waist since they had stepped into the floo network and the warmth of his arm, of his body so close to hers sent wild urges flying through her. Luna knew that a part of these feelings were due to the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about their kiss that afternoon. Luna couldn't stop wondering how far things would have gone if her father hadn't arrived home when he did.

Once again, Luna's eyes drifted up to Cedric's face, it was open and happy as he laughed at something the wizard he was talking to had just said. The man worked with Amos Diggory and had known Cedric since he was small, therefore he had been chatting with them for a little while, although Luna had no idea what the conversation was about, she was too busy looking at Cedric.

He had a strong jaw, Luna noted, with the faint trace of a shadow growing there, and all she wanted to do was reach up and trace her finger along it, following the curve to his ear with her lips. Luna's mind jumped back in time to that afternoon when Cedric had been kissing her, when his lips had been against her skin. She shivered, it had been a lovely experience.

Cedric glanced down at her. "Are you cold?"

"Cold? No," Luna shook her head and smiled up at him.

"You're shivering," Cedric pointed out.

"No, just one little shiver," she replied, hugging herself closer into his side. "I'm fine, really."

Cedric nodded, small indents appearing in his forehead for a moment before he turned back to the conversation, his hand tightening its hold over her hip. She felt so warm, so delicate under his hand that she drove his mind far away from his conversation and Cedric had to fight to keep himself in the present.

Trying to focus on something other than Cedric, Luna let her eyes wander around the room, taking in the decorations of the Holly and Ivy Dance. That was the official name for tonight's event. Holly and ivy climbed up the walls and spread over the ceiling, the white table cloths had holly and ivy patterns printed on them with the candle centrepieces wrapped with holly and ivy.

Luna had decided to blend into the theme of the Dance and wore a green halter neck dress with faux ruby accessories. She liked this dress, it ended just above the knee in a downward slant and showed off her shoulders very nicely.

"Anyway, I mustn't take up any more of your time. I'm sure you'd rather be focusing your attentions elsewhere. Nice to see you, Cedric, good luck with the tournament."

"Thanks, see you around," Cedric replied, happy to be able to turn back to Luna and enjoy her company. "Sorry about that, I didn't think he'd hang around that long."

"Oh that's alright," Luna shrugged. "I don't mind."

"Still," Cedric moved towards the buffet table. "I wouldn't want you to feel as if I were neglecting you."

"I don't think that. I'm having a lovely time," Luna held a plate out for Cedric and he began to fill it with tasty finger foods. "Besides, I would have a lovely time just sitting and staring at the wall so long as it was with you. It's not what you're doing, or where you are, it's who you're with."

Cedric grinned, taking her arm and depositing her at the nearest empty table. "And you think my company is that great? That you wouldn't be bored staring at the wall?"

Luna just smiled softly, "Not with you."

Cedric had no real response to that, so he just popped a mini quiche in his mouth and chewed slowly. It was very strange, extremely insane, but he sort of understood what she meant. Cedric felt that he could sit right where he was and just look at her for hours on end. Luna was just so angelic, her blonde hair like a halo around her face, big blue eyes wide and innocent, her smile like a sunrise, her inner warmth radiating from her in waves, and he wanted to bask in it all day.

"Have I embarrassed you, Cedric? I didn't mean to," Luna said quietly when he had been silent for a few minutes.

"No. I was just thinking that's all," he replied, reaching out and touching her hair; that tonight she wore in big ringlets over her right shoulder, the rest of it pulled back and up on top of her head. Cedric liked her hair this way with this particular dress, it helped show off much more skin.

"Anything of interest?"

He shrugged, "Just that I enjoy your company."

Luna's face lit up with her inner sunshine, her eyes almost glowing. "I enjoy your company too."

"After I left your house earlier, did your father say anything?" Cedric queried. Mr Lovegood's reaction to finding him sitting in his front room in a bathrobe, or lack of reaction, had been bothering him all afternoon.

Luna looked puzzled. "Like what?"

"About me. About us sitting around in bathrobes," Cedric said, unable to comprehend why Luna didn't consider it a big deal.

"No. Why would he? He already knows what happened," Luna reminded him, pouring herself a goblet of ice cold water and taking a refreshing drink.

"He knows what you told him," Cedric corrected.

"I told him the truth," Luna pointed out.

"Well I know that, but did he believe you?" Cedric persisted. The last thing he wanted was for Mr Lovegood to put a stop to his seeing Luna.

"Why wouldn't he?" Luna looked confused, her forehead creasing.

"It's just unusual, for a father to just accept that as an explanation after walking in on us dressed that way, that's all." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed softly. Cedric couldn't deny that he was extremely disappointed that Mr Lovegood had chosen that particular time to walk through the door, there could have been so much more to come that afternoon if they'd had more time, and Cedric didn't want anything to stand in the way of that.

Luna was silent for a few moments, she just sat there looking at him with those deep blue eyes that always seemed to pierce his very soul. Usually her face was so full of expression when she was with him, but right now Cedric couldn't pick out anything at all. She just looked thoughtful and for some reason a trickle of fright ran down his spine.

Resting her chin in her hand and titling her head, Luna said, "Cedric, have you had many lovers?"

Cedric almost choked. He blinked rapidly. "What?"

"Have you had many lovers?" she repeated, her voice soft and calm.

Cedric frowned and inhaled, he looked like he didn't want to reply and Luna's heart turned to concrete as she thought about him kissing other girls the way he had kissed her. Touching other girls the way she wanted him to touch her. Looking at other girls the way he sometimes looked at her. Luna felt sick, she would bet her last sickle that the majority of Cedric's girls hadn't been clueless virgins who were most definitely out of their depth in trying to snare an older boy.

Taking her hand, Cedric stood up and tugged Luna to her feet. "We can't talk about that here." He took her out of the ballroom and down a corridor, taking a turning into a quiet corridor away from the party. Ruffling his hair with his free hand Cedric finally turned to look at her. "I haven't had a lover," he said slowly. "There's no-one I would ever class as a lover. A lover implies someone that you care about, someone that you're close to. I haven't experienced that."

She didn't mean to, but it was an automatic reaction. Luna pulled her hands free from Cedric's. It was a stupid, childish reaction to have, he was only telling her what she had already suspected. But hearing it just made it all the more real, and even though Luna usually loved to discover that what she imaged was in fact reality, this time she did not have the same excited feeling.

"I haven't been with that many girls. Just a handful, if that, and it never really meant anything," Cedric cursed under his breath, the look on her face did not fill him with confidence that he had said the right thing. "That doesn't sound good," he muttered, wanting to take her hand again, but knowing he couldn't until he had explained everything to her satisfaction. He wanted to know all about her, he wanted to know if she'd ever been with a boy, so Cedric figured that it was only natural that Luna would want to know about him. Know what she was getting herself into.

"Is that the truth?"

He nodded, "Yes."

Luna's lips twisted into a rueful smile. "Sometimes the truth isn't always nice."

"I guess not," he agreed.

"Did you take them to your bed, Cedric? Did you sleep beside them afterwards?" Luna wondered why she was even asking these questions, it was like rubbing salt into an open wound, she was sure that she wouldn't like the answers he was going to give her.

"No, not even once," Cedric replied firmly. "It wasn't like that," he cursed again. "I'm not coming off very well right now, am I?"

He was coming off much better than he knew. Luna felt a strange feeling of relief at hearing these words. Somehow it made it easier to deal with, knowing that Cedric hadn't harboured romantic feelings for any other girl. But she still had to ask her next question, Luna still needed to hear the answer, she refused to build her dreams on shaky foundations. "Did you love any of them?"

"No, not one," Cedric admitted.

Her lips pursed in thought. "But, you must have told them you loved them, at least one of them. When you were…. before or after….?" she trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her question.

"No," Cedric said slowly. "I don't intend to say those words unless I mean them. I've seen it too many times, the pain those words can cause when they aren't meant, when they are just said to get what's needed. Boys do that sometimes," he said, his eyes urging her not to fall for that trick.

"So I've heard," Luna agreed, absently touching a large curl sitting on her shoulder.

Cedric sighed heavily. "You don't know me well, Luna. There's no reason for you to trust anything I tell you, especially after this afternoon and what I've just told you. But I'm not spending time with you for sex."

The look on her face told him that he had said the wrong thing, the flash of hurt, the disappointment in her eyes, and it filled Cedric with excitement. "What I mean is, that's not what I'm pushing for. If it happens, and believe me, I've been thinking about it a lot the last forty eight hours, then great, but it's not the main reason I invited you to the week's dances at the Ministry." Cedric paused, his brow furrowing. "Actually, that's not true, I think that was the main reason, that's what I wanted from you straight off. But now that's not all I want. I want to be your friend as well. "

"I'd like to be your friend," Luna replied quietly, her heart hammering against her breast bone as she listened to him speak in that rasping tone that sent goosebumps popping out all over her skin.

Cedric nodded. "That's good. Maybe in time you'll want something more from me too. I understand that you're younger than I am, that you might not be thinking about anything more than friendship just yet. And like I said, you don't know me well."

"Even after such a short period of time, when I'm close to you," Luna said taking his hand and squeezing his fingers gently. "When you hold me the way that you do, when you kiss me, when I hear your voice, I know everything I need to know about you." She shifted against him, her hands resting lightly on his biceps. "I know you're the one that I want. I know I want to be with you. That's who you are."

Cedric cleared his throat, capturing her face with his hands. "Don't force yourself, Luna. There are things I want from you, things I probably have no right to want, but I want them anyway. Things that I want you to give because you want to."

"You're all I want," Luna whispered, tilting her head back, silently encouraging him to kiss her. She almost craved his lips, as though she had been deprived of them for far too long.

He smiled, "And what do your crystals say about it?"

"I don't need them to tell me what I feel, and they know I'm right about you," she added softly. "I couldn't be wrong about you, Cedric. Anything else in the world yes, but not you."

Bending his head, Cedric kissed her softly. Luna's eyes fluttered shut, and she sighed contently, taken completely by surprise when his mouth suddenly clamped over hers, his tongue invading her as he kissed her deeply, thoroughly.

Luna's arms wrapped around his neck as his fingers entangled themselves completely in her hair, curling around the long strands, pushing, pulling, burrowing amongst the waves dislodging her clips and pins, causing her hair to tumble freely around her shoulders. She kissed him back just as heatedly as he kissed her. Her tongue plundering his mouth, needing him, pulling him closer to her, desperate to take anything that he offered her.

She felt her feet leave the floor, his hands strong and firm on the back of her thighs, lifting her up until her mouth broke free from his and she was settled on his hips; hips that surged forward, pressing his erection against her, pinning her to the wall as his hands ran up her side to mesh once more in her hair.

Luna caught a fleeting glimpse of Cedric's face, his eyes hot like melted silver, wild as a tornado and her lipstick smeared across his lips. Then his face was gone, buried at the crook of her neck as his lips caressed her throat and his teeth bit lightly against her collar bone.

Her eyes closed and her head fell back, inviting Cedric to feast on the bare skin of her shoulders as she gripped tightly to his tousled hair, keeping him against her. She felt the straps of her dress sliding over her shoulders, slipping down her chest and falling completely away from her body, exposing her breasts to him should he care to look. But Luna didn't care. There were too many feelings riding through her body for her to worry about any insecurities she had once harboured.

His hands were warm when they ran over her shoulder, smoothing down her chest to cup her breasts. Luna shivered, a quiet gasp leaving her lips. It wasn't awkward as she had worried it might be, it was just right.; as though her body knew him and had been waiting for him this whole time.

Cedric's mouth found hers again, and he kissed her deeply, heatedly; a direct contrast to the gentleness of his hands on her body. He groaned softly, massaging the ripe flesh in his hands enjoying the moment of first touching her. He was satisfied when her upper body surged forward when he brushed her nipple with his thumb.

Cedric's head went down, and Luna could feel her nipples straining forward towards him, his hot breath coming ever closer until his mouth latched on to the tip of her breast, pulling her between his teeth. Suddenly, his eyes lifted, caught hers and held.

Luna sucked in a sharp breath, the look in Cedric's eyes was something she hadn't ever seen before. An intense mixture of wildness, contentedness, pleasure and desire, and it made her body shudder almost as much as what he was doing.

He sucked lightly, passing his tongue over and over her, enjoying the feel of her and the taste of her skin. So taken with her as he was, Cedric almost forgot that he held her other breast in the palm of his hand. Gently, he rolled her nipple between his thumb and forefinger, massaging the swell beneath, his pulse racing when he heard her moan.

Luna's skin was so soft, so creamy, like running his hands over silk and she drove Cedric wild without even meaning to. His mouth ravaged the dusky pink crest of her breast, urged on with the sound of her shallow breaths and low moans, by the way she arched against him, that breathy voice whispering his name, turning him into some sort of untamed beast.

He released her breast, his tongue stroking her skin as he made his way from one breast to the other, his hands curling around her upper back, supporting her body as she arched towards him once more. His name left her lips in a joyous exclamation when his mouth took possession of her breast. His teeth tugging on the rock hard nipple, drawing her into his mouth, suckling, licking with a fierce possessiveness Cedric knew in the back of his mind was something to be concerned about.

Luna revelled in the erotic sensations flying through her system. She embraced the feeling of being so close to Cedric and she gasped his name again, enjoying the fact that she could say it, that this was real and not a wonderful dream. "Cedric…. I ache," she whispered breathily.

She wasn't the only one aching, Cedric thought. His entire body was aching. Luna was so exciting to him, so explosive. He wished they were somewhere else, he wished they were in his room, in his bed, where he could undress her and touch her and kiss her everywhere. Where he could slide inside her and properly finish what he had started. Cedric knew thoughts like that were dangerous at a moment like this; when his erection was throbbing, begging for release.

Lifting his head, Cedric curled his hands back into her hair, bringing her mouth to his. His tongue thrust in deep just as his hips thrust hard against her. Luna felt a new and exciting pulsing between her legs and she kissed him back passionately, almost beseeching him to keep going, not to stop now.

Finally, Cedric managed to break away from her; his breathing hard and heavy, his eyes sweeping downward, unable to control the temptation to look at her one last time tonight. Placing her carefully back on the ground he turned away from her, running his hands through his hair impatiently. "Please fix your dress." If he had any kind of manners, Cedric thought, he'd do it himself, but he couldn't bring himself to deprive his eyes of such a sight, to control his hands to do what needed to be done and actually do up the dress.

"Is something wrong?" Luna questioned cautiously, tying her straps with trembling fingers.

"No. Nothing's wrong," Cedric assured her hoarsely. "It's just that if I don't stop now, I'm not sure that I will."

"I think …"

Cedric spun round quickly, his eyes latching onto her face so hot and intense that it made Luna gasp. "Don't think. Don't think for a minute that I'm in control when I touch you like that because I'm not. Don't think that I couldn't have ignored the fact that there's a party going on down there and just have taken you, right here against the wall."

Luna flushed, her heart beat quickening. Cedric looked so lost, so confused and had lines of restraint etched into his face that Luna knew she had to say something to reassure him. "You wouldn't have, the crystals didn't show me that."

"Did they show you this?" he demanded.

Luna shook her head, "No, crystals don't show the reader everything. Just what the reader asks."

Tilting his head Cedric studied her carefully. "What did you ask?"

"After this afternoon I asked if tonight was going to be my first time and they told me no," she replied simply, her hands fussing with her hair. "I didn't ask when that would be, so don't bother asking," Luna added when she saw Cedric open his mouth.

Cedric closed his mouth again and pursed his lips. "So you don't know that I'll be your first, do you?" he pointed out, a violent anger bursting to life inside him at the idea of someone else touching Luna.

"Oh yes, I know that," Luna replied. "The crystals don't decide the future, Cedric, they just tell you when certain events are gong to take place. I've decided that my first time will be with you. It's just a matter of when."

Cedric rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers, closing his eyes to steady himself. "I can't have this conversation now. I'm not thinking straight."

"Time is getting on, perhaps we should just go home. We can talk about it tomorrow if you like?" she offered.

Cedric nodded, "Tomorrow would be better. When I'm not thinking of other things." He took her elbow and led her back down towards the party where they could use the floo network to go back home.

"I had a lovely night, Cedric," Luna said sincerely as she gathered her cloak from the house elf attendant.

Cedric glanced down at her, his eyebrow raising in amusement. "You say that as if what happened between us is an everyday occurrence."

Luna smiled and hugged his arm, gazing up at him dreamily she replied, "How wonderful it would be if it were."

"Be careful what you wish for," Cedric teased, untangling his arm and slipping it around her waist.

"I've already made my Christmas wish," Luna informed him.

"Oh? What was it?"

She shook her head and laughed. "Oh no, Cedric. If I tell then it might not come true," she smiled up at him. "Although, in this case, I think that it might."

Cedric grinned. "Let's hope we're thinking the same thing, or someone is going to end up bitterly disappointed."

"No," Luna twirled in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "No disappointment. Just wonderful memories like tonight."

Framing her face with his hands Cedric replied throatily. "There's so much more to come, Luna. So much more than tonight."


	5. Something Good

Chapter 5

Something Good

The next day, Cedric woke later than usual. It had taken forever for him to fall asleep, the taste of Luna still lingering on his tongue, the scent of her still in his nostrils and the memory of her under his hands kept him away from sleep, torturing him with what he could have, just not tonight.

By the time he got down stairs, it was getting on towards noon and the house was rather silent. He came across a note from is mother pinned to the kitchen door telling him that she had gone into work today and therefore couldn't make their shopping trip, something he had forgotten all about with thoughts of Luna circling his mind.

Scratching a quick note to Luna inviting her over for lunch, Cedric tied it to the leg of the owl that belonged to his father and bounded up the stairs to take a shower. Luna didn't live very far away from him so it shouldn't take too long for her response to get back to him, and Cedric thought it made sense for him to make himself lunch rather than breakfast considering how long he had in fact been asleep.

By the time he had dressed and returned to the kitchen to see exactly what he could make, Luna's response came back saying she would be there at one o'clock. A stupid smile spread over Cedric's face and he rummaged around in the cupboards looking for something quick and easy. Eventually he settled on pasta salad, mainly because it didn't involve him having to cook anything big, cooking was not his forte.

While the pasta simmered on the hob, Cedric sat himself at the kitchen table, pouring over a large charms book that belonged to his father. It was so old it was practically falling apart, but that was why Cedric had chosen it, hoping that he would discover a long forgotten charm to assist him with the egg.

He was still looking through the book, his forehead scrunched up in concentration when Luna arrived. She smiled to see Cedric Diggory, stirring a pot on the stove while reading a book. "Don't you look domesticated?"

Cedric glanced up, jumping in surprise at the sound of another voice in the room. "Luna, hi. I think I killed the pasta," he admitted, looking ruefully into the pot.

Smiling again, Luna came over to him and peeked into the pot. The pasta was brown and stuck to the bottom of the pot, the water almost completely evaporated. "Yes, I think maybe you did."

"Shit. Sorry," he offered, closing the book with a snap and throwing it onto the table. He ran a hand through his hair with annoyance. "I wanted to make you something nice, but I can't cook and I've had some success with pasta in the past. Not today it would seem," he added.

Luna laughed. "It doesn't matter, we can make sandwiches. Did you have any further success with the book?" she gestured to the heavy volume he had thrown onto the table.

"Not really," he sighed again. "I did find some pretty neat charms though, but nothing that can actually help me."

"Are you going to show me the egg today?" Luna asked hopefully, taking the pot off the stove and scraping the congealed contents into the nearby bin.

Cedric nodded, "Yeah sure. A smart Ravenclaw maybe just what I need." Taking her hand firmly, Cedric drew her after him out of the kitchen and up the stairs. "It's in my room," he paused just outside the door. "Are you ok with going in my bedroom?"

Luna blinked, showing surprise at this question. "Yes, why wouldn't I be? I'd like to see your room, Cedric."

"Ok. Fine. Ok." Cedric pushed open the door and stood to one side to let her pass.

Luna entered his bedroom full of curiosity to see where Cedric slept, what his sanctuary was really like. It was messy, Luna noted first off, clothes strewn about over the back of chairs and magazines spilling off the bedside draw and the end of his desk. There were winner's ribbons pinned around the desk which Luna saw were from the Youth Quidditch Team and little silver cups gleamed in the weak rays of the December sun as it streamed in through the windows. The golden egg sat on the desk as well and Luna moved towards it, running her fingers over the smooth, cold surface.

Cedric watched her silently from the doorway, finally moving to sit on the edge of the bed, his blood rushing that little bit faster through his veins and his pulse picking up speed.

"Can I open it?" she brought the egg to him, cradling it against her chest, her eyes seeking his permission.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, of course."

Her eyes somehow locked with his and her fingers fumbled over the catch on top of the egg, refusing to break the contact with him when a thrilling tingling sensation was creeping over her skin, causing the room to fade around her until her world consisted of only Cedric.

The ear-splitting sound that came from the egg shattered the dreamy moment, causing Luna to cry out in shock, almost dropping the egg. She clamped the egg closed, her eyes wide. "I didn't think it would sound like that."

"But it does," he said with a twist of his lips. "And I have no idea why."

"We'll figure it out," Luna promised, sitting beside him with one leg curled beneath her and settling the egg between them. "Ok, let's see." She opened the egg again and listened intently, the horrific sound slicing through the air and grating on her nerves.

"Enough," Cedric said after ten minutes of non-stop caterwauling. "I can't take any more. And I'm starving, lets go and make some sandwiches."

"Cedric!" Luna chided, "You're not going to get anywhere if you give up this easily."

"I'm not giving up, I'm hungry." Cedric took her hand and tugged her to her feet. "Besides, I didn't invite you over here to spend all day trying to figure this stupid thing out."

"Then why did you?" Luna asked, tilting her head back to look up at his face; a face that she found so handsome he could quite literally take her breath away.

His eyes met hers, so smoky, so dark; and Luna's breath caught in her throat. His hands framed her face and the next thing Luna knew, Cedric was kissing her. Her lips parted willingly, his fingers sliding into her hair as his tongue dipped into her mouth and he was immersed in longing, his arms dropping around her as hers wound around his neck, his body moving into hers, causing her to stumble backwards. Cedric caught her before she fell onto the bed and he stepped back from her.

"Best not to go there just now."

Luna flushed, dropping her one hand to her side and taking his with her other. "Lets get something to eat, Cedric."

Cedric made sandwiches and they ate them sitting in front of the fire with cups of hot sweet tea, their conversation ranging from school work to quidditch, both of them working overtime to keep the conversation moving and not allow a silence to fall between them which would be quite dangerously filled.

Presently, Luna said, "Cedric, did you ever think that the egg was a language?"

"A language? That noise?" Cedric's eyebrows quirked. "Doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard."

"Maybe that's the point," Luna pointed out. "Maybe it's not the language of people, or humans. Maybe it's the language of something else. Like the mating call of the _Crumple-Horned Snorkack__."_

Cedric stared at her blankly. "The what?"

"We don't have time to discuss those now, Cedric, as fascinating as they may be. We have to at least try and figure out the egg."

Cedric ruffled his hair, an amused smile playing at the corners of his lips. "You may have a point about the language," he conceded. "But what could it be? And more importantly, how do I translate it?"

Luna pursed her lips in thought. "Perhaps it's a creature you have to battle, like the dragons? Would they have two tasks the same though?"

"Probably not," Cedric muttered. He stood up and disappeared into another room, returning a few minutes later with a book. "This is a book of magical creatures and where to find them. Maybe it might give us an idea."

"Wonderful," Luna took the book eagerly. Flipping it open and settling herself comfortably, Cedric sitting close beside her to share the book. Her hands trembled as she turned the pages and she found it difficult to concentrate with Cedric so close to her.

Cedric was rather pleased to note the discomfort of Luna, it was gratifying to know that she was just as disturbed by his presence as he was by hers. Lifting a hand he brushed her long hair over her left shoulder, leaving her right shoulder bare. She shivered and her fingers tightened their hold on the book. Luna jumped when Cedric pressed his lips to the curve of her neck, her eyes fluttering and her mouth running dry.

He murmured her name, his lips caressing her skin, his teeth taking hold of her collar bone, nibbling lightly, causing her breath to leave her lungs in one long rush. His mouth made a slow exploration of her back and her neck, his hands pulling her hair from her left shoulder to pay attention to that side her body.

Luna trembled as Cedric's mouth inched its way up her neck, her head falling back against his shoulder as he captured her pulse, sucking lightly, causing a low moan to whisper from her lips. Cedric groaned in response, angling her towards him and kissing her deeply.

Her fingers wove through his hair and Luna suddenly found herself lying back, and Cedric's lips were brushing over her face, her eyes, her lips, her cheeks, down her neck and back up again. Luna's body surged upward towards him, aching for a more intimate touch, wanting to feel his hands on her skin like the previous night.

She did feel his hands on her waist, pushing her top up to reveal her midriff, and his mouth left hers as he slithered down her body and pressed his lips to her stomach. Luna's eyes closed and a steadying breath left her as a shiver ran up her spine causing her nipples to harden. His lips were like gentle butterflies against her skin, his fingers stroking her side, tracing her hip bones with feather light touches.

His name left her lips breathlessly when his teeth sank lightly into her hips, his tongue stroking her flesh that was slowing beginning to heat up, swiping over her navel and trailing teasing kisses along the waistline of her trousers.

Her head turned to the side as her body stretched out beneath his mouth and her half closed eyes fell on the book of magical creatures that had dropped from her hands as soon as Cedric had started to kiss her.

"Cedric!"

"Hum."

"Cedric, the black lake. Would you have to do something in the black lake?"

"I… what?" Cedric blinked, lifting his head from her stomach. "You're asking me that _now_!"

"Look," she reached out and plucked the book from the floor. "This page is about water creatures." She pointed at the open page, "Perhaps you have to do something in the black lake?"

Cedric was interested inspite of himself, and flipped the pages, examining the creatures carefully. "I've heard rumors that there are mermaids in the black lake, besides the giant squid and grindylows."

Luna turned to the page about grindylows and they both read in silence for a few minutes. "The noise of the grindylow doesn't seem like the noise in the egg," she said regretfully.

Cedric turned the next page and read the section about mermaids. "Now that looks interesting, the way their language is described could be the noise of the egg."

Luna ran her finger along a line of text. "It says here that if you don't understand the language itself, you can only understand it if you are underwater with them."

"Lets go and run the bath," Cedric suggested and Luna nodded eagerly.

Once the bath was filled enough to cover the egg, Cedric opened it. He was surprised not to hear a sound but that the water was gurgling and glowing with a strange golden light. Remembering what the book had said, he took a deep breath and ducked his head under the water to listen to the strange yet oddly captivating melodious voice singing to him.

_Come seek us where our voices sound_

_We cannot sing above the ground_

_And while your searching ponder this_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss_

_An hour long you'll have to look_

_To discover what we took_

_Past an hour the prospects black_

_Too late its gone, it won't come back._

Luna dipped her head beneath the water at Cedric's gesture and listened enchanted. "Oh," she explained when she surfaced. "Real mermaids voices. How lovely they sound."

Cedric hurried to get a quill, some ink and parchment to write down the song and then he closed the egg and drained the bath, using a drying spell on their hair. "Well, finally. Thanks, Luna."

"You're welcome, Cedric," she beamed at him for a moment before laughing and throwing her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. "Now you'll win for sure, Cedric. I just know it."

"I'm feeling better about it," he admitted. "Now that the egg is figured out. I couldn't have done it without you."

Closing the gap between them he kissed her; a hungry kiss, his hands running up her back pressing her closer to him. Luna gripped him tightly, kissing him back with a passion that momentarily left Cedric's mind blank. Moving closer to him, Luna accidentally knocked Cedric off balance. He held her close to him, his chest breaking her fall as he tumbled backwards, keeping her lips sealed tightly to his with his hand curled in her hair, fisted at the back of her head.

Rolling her onto her back, Cedric's lips left hers to trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck, pressing softly beneath her ear in the sensitive spot he was delighted to have discovered. Luna felt the brush of Cedric's muscular thighs against her own and every nerve ending in her body screamed for his touch.

Nibbling on her lower lip, Cedric's hands slid down her chest to cup her breasts. Massaging them firmly through the thin material of her t-shirt he felt the immediate reaction of her nipples, straining towards his hands.

The urge to touch her again drove Cedric, and he pushed her top up, more than happy when her fingers left his hair to raise her arms and allow him to pull the material up over her head. His mouth closed, hot and hungry over her breast making Luna moan softly. He took great delight in the satisfied sounds that came from her and Cedric thoroughly enjoyed the sweet taste of her flesh.

He sucked her nipple, biting lightly, drawing a hot, wet trail from one breast to the other as his tongue explored her skin. She shivered and moaned beneath him, her fingers digging into his scalp as she pressed him closer to her.

Luna's hands smoothed slowly over his shoulders, down over his chest and Cedric felt the light tickling brush of her fingers against his lower abdomen and his body froze as realization surged into his mind. If he let things go too far he wouldn't be able to stop himself, and he didn't want to rush things, worrying in case his mother suddenly came home.

Taking a deep breath, Cedric pulled away from her, leaning over her on his elbows, his breath catching when Luna's eyes fluttered open; gone were the unwavering misty eyes, they were replaced by dark pools of desire as she stared up at him.

"Why did you stop, Cedric?" Luna asked curiously. "Don't you want me to touch you?"

"Luna," he murmured, his knuckles brushing along her cheek as his eyes closed despairingly for moment. "Your first time; our first time together shouldn't be on the bathroom floor. If you touch me right now, that's exactly what's going to happen."

The tension visibly eased from her shoulders and Luna smiled sweetly at him. "I thought that you'd changed your mind, that…."

She stopped when his thumb touched her bottom lip lightly. "Don't think that. Don't ever think that," he said huskily.

"You really are a lovely person, Cedric." Luna smiled again and curled her hand around the nape of his neck lifting herself up from the floor to give him a heartbreakingly sweet kiss.

Pushing himself onto his knees, Cedric replaced her bra over her breasts and pulled her with him, rocking her in his arms for a moment, loathed to release her just yet. He kissed her temple softly and Luna smiled, sighing contentedly, she felt as though she could stay wrapped up in Cedric's arms forever. After so many years of tormenting and teasing from her fellow students and the odd looks she acquired from nearly everyone she met, Luna felt as if something good was finally happening to her.


	6. Tomorrow

Chapter 6

Tomorrow

It was the day before New Year's Eve and Cedric's mother was driving him mad. She was constantly back and forth his room parading around in one dress after another, in a skirt, in trousers, back to a dress, hair up, hair down, this necklace, these ear-rings, what did he think? It was on the tip of his tongue to yell at her that he didn't care, that he'd now officially lost the will to live. If he had to look at one more clutch bag, and Cedric was horrified to realise he actually knew what a clutch bag was, he'd throw himself out of the window. His mother should have tried for another child, a girl, if he had a sister he wouldn't have to put up with all this nonsense.

But, he loved his mother and he was a good son, so he submitted to the inevitable that he was going to have to help his mother chose her outfit for the Ministry's New Years Eve Ball. Apparently, and he'd had no idea up until today, it was the biggest event of the year, and all the women tried to outdo each other with their outfits- like he cared.

"I liked the blue dress," Cedric said, for what felt like the twentieth time.

"I already told you," his mother replied sharply. "I wore blue last year, I can't wear it again this year."

"But it's a completely different dress!" Cedric exclaimed exasperated.

"That's not the point!" his mother argued.

Cedric silently conceded that he simply then, had no idea what the point actually was, so he smiled and nodded.

"How's your week with Luna been?" his mother called from across the hallway where she had retired to her bedroom to change into yet another dress.

"Fine," Cedric replied. "I like her, she's really nice."

"Odd family though."

"Yeah," Cedric agreed. "Do you know her father well?"

"Not really, no-one knows him that well. Odd," she said by way of explanation. "What about this one?" she entered his room where he was lying on the bed reading a letter from Frankie.

Cedric glanced up, "No, I don't like it at all," he dismissed the peach number she wore. "Those shoes are ok though. They'd go really nice with that dark purple dress you had on somewhere around lunch time," he made a point at looking at the clock which now showed the time was three thirty.

"Oh yes," his mother nodded, seemingly oblivious to his hint at the time. "I think these shoes would compliment that dress very well And it's deep purple, Cedric, not dark purple."

"Right, yeah, the deep purple." Cedric rolled his eyes. "It should bother you more that I know the shoes would go with it."

His mother laughed, "You are funny sometimes, darling. Hair up or down?"

"Down with the purple dress. I'm not commenting on this dress because I don't like it."

"So, you think the purple?"

Cedric would have agreed that she should wear a black bag and a bucket on her head if it got her out of his room and stopped what appeared to be an endless parade of clothes. "Yes, I think the purple."

"Hum," she muttered to herself as she left the room again. "I'm so glad you figured out the egg, darling. It means you can have a nice relaxing break before you go back to school. You work too hard, you're like your father. How's Frankie?"

"You know Frankie, he doesn't change," Cedric grinned at the letter he held in his hands. Frankie had written about a particularly satisfying sexual exploit he experienced and was harassing Cedric to tell him whether he had decided to have some fun over the holidays.

Getting up, Cedric seated himself at his desk and searched the draws for some parchment, ink and a quill in order to answer his friend. He had just finished writing Hi Frankie, when his mother sailed back into the room.

"This purple dress?"

"Yes, that's the one."

His mother huffed. "How would you know? You haven't even looked. Honestly, Cedric you'll have to show your girlfriend and in the future, your wife, a little more attention and interest."

"Mum. I've been looking at dresses for over two hours. I know every item of clothing in your wardrobe," he told her patiently. Glancing over his shoulder just to keep her quiet he nodded, "that's the dress."

"I thought the silver was a little more festive. Don't you think?"

"Yes, yes, if you like," he muttered.

"You just said that this was your favourite."

"I said nothing of the sort," Cedric reminded her. "All I said was the shoes went with it. You made the rest up and decided to put it back on again. Between this dress and the silver one, I prefer the silver one. Don't you have a friend you could ask about this stuff? You know, a woman who knows what she's meant to be looking for. You're my mum, I'm going to think you look great no matter what you wear."

"Oh! Cedric!" she enveloped him in a hug and kissed the top of his head. "You must be really fed up to come up with that pile of rubbish. Alright," she laughed, "I'll stop pestering you."

Cedric grinned. "I'd appreciate it."

"Oh, one more thing," she paused in the door way and turned back to him.

"Hair up," he said without even turning.

"Thank you sweetie,"

"Welcome," he replied, his quill stroking over the parchment as he updated Frankie on the Ministry Ball's.

Once he finished his letter, Cedric sealed it up and tied it to the delivering owls leg. The bird hooted at him and lifted itself up and out of the window. Cedric watched it fly away absently, his eyes glazing over and his mind drifting to Luna. He hadn't seen her at all today, she was spending the day with her father and was unable to meet him until the party tonight. He was looking forward to the party, probably much more that he should be. He just wanted Luna near him, wanted to touch her and see the heat colour her cheeks and the desire cloud her eyes. Cedric was pretty sure that no other girl he had ever met had had such a reaction to him as Luna did.

He was just loosing himself in a daydream about Luna when his mother re-entered the bedroom. "Cedric, do you think this wrap would be ok to wear tomorrow? Maybe I'm a little old to go with my shoulders all bare. What do you think?"

Cedric closed his eyes for a moment and took a calming breath before turning to look at her. "I think it looks fine with a wrap, (why it was no longer called a shawl Cedric didn't know) and no, I don't think you're too old for bare shoulders."

"I think the wrap adds to it, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Gives it a little more pizzazz ."

"Absolutely."

"You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Not a clue,"

"You're hopeless," she said affectionately before leaving the room again.

With his mother safely occupied elsewhere, Cedric allowed his mind to drift again, calling to mind the bright illumination of Luna's eyes when she spoke about The Quibbler, her father, her mother and all those other things that where important to her. He recalled how her voice, already soft and low became laced with awe when she spoke about him, about his position in the Tournament. Cedric could feel, as though a damn had burst within him the swift flood of his own longing for her cascade through him.

Cedric's heart was thudding like a sledgehammer at the mere thought of Luna, his blood surging hot and wild through his veins. He knew what people would say if his relationship with Luna became public knowledge, they would say that he, as the oldest had taken advantage of her and he couldn't help but wonder if they were right; but he wanted her so intensely, so passionately that his desire for her overruled his head and his judgement.

Running his hands through his sandy hair, Cedric groaned deep in his throat. He wanted Luna and he knew she wanted him. In his heart of hearts Cedric knew he couldn't give her up, not without knowing her the way he wanted to know her; deeply, intimately. Luna had shown such trust in him, given herself to him so far so freely that when he was with her, when he thought about her he was assuaged with tormented longings.

Cedric's fingers flexed in the waves of his hair. He could hardly wait to see Luna tonight.

The day had dragged by for Cedric, he'd had to restrain himself from going over to Luna's house just to see her, to be near her and comfort the strong arousing urges in him by simply seeing her. He had managed to wait until the evening and he now had her in his arms as they slow danced at the latest Ministry Ball.

Cedric's fingers stroked idly down Luna's bare spine, saying a silent thank you to the creator of the backless dress. Her body had moulded to his and the feel of his fingers, bare flesh to bare flesh sent firework intense sensations across her skin, causing the fine hairs on the back of her neck to stand to attention.

Cedric had never experienced anything like the longing that rolled over him whenever her body came into contact with his, as if there was an electric charge of emotion between them that fizzled and crackled with inexhaustible energy.

"Come outside for some air," Cedric said as the slow danced changed to something more up tempo.

Luna slid her hand into the crook of his elbow and wandered dreamily out onto the balcony with him. "It's New Year tomorrow," she said, absently smoothing out a crease in his dress robes. "We'll be back at Hogwarts school."

"Yes, it won't be long," he agreed.

"Will we be friends when we go back to school?"

His eyes met hers, holding her gaze firmly. "I hope not."

Luna smiled, as his arms slid around her drawing her closer to him; so close that she could feel his body heat even though his dress robes and the male scent of him locked into her nostrils with the cool, sharp scent of his cologne. She could also feel the heavy thud of his heart against her breast as his mouth lowered to hers, their touch soft and exquisite; and then he kissed her.

Her thighs softened and parted as his thigh pressed against her legs, easing between them until she was leaning against him, the hard male presence of his thigh between hers sending a hot flush through her system.

His leg moved against hers, the material of his trousers felt rough against her bare skin and the sudden feel of his knee against the softness of her core caused a sharp breath to catch in her throat. Cedric's mouth lifted from hers, his desire glazed eyes staring at her so intently telling Luna that he wanted exactly what she wanted. His knee moved against her again, gently, teasingly causing fierce shivers of pleasure to run through her.

Cedric was overwhelmed with needs and sensations that were completely new to him. He wanted her, wanted her so badly, more than he wanted anything in the world. More than he wanted to compete in the Tournament and more than he wanted to win. She was like a fever inside him.

As his knee moved between her legs again, pressing lightly against her, Luna's fingers curled tighter through his hair, her back arching slightly as her lips parted and a low moan tumbled from her. She was so soft, so hot that he could feel it against his knee and Cedric could barely control himself. His hands tangled in her hair and he kissed her again; hard and deep, his tongue searching, ravishing until her body trembled against him.

Tearing himself away from her mouth, Cedric cupped her face with his warm hands. "Stay in with me tomorrow."

Luna's voice was low and dazed when she replied, "Oh yes. Yes, Cedric."


	7. Happy New Year

**A/N: OK, so here is the last chapter to this story. I hope you all enjoy it and a big thank you to everyone who has been so kind as to read this story, and a massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review, I really appreciate your thoughts/ input & encouragement. **

Chapter 7

Happy New Year

"Are you sure that you'll be alright on your own, Cedric?" his mother smoothed his hair from his forehead with a cool hand and a concerned face.

"I'll be fine. I'll just sit here and play some cards or something," Cedric assured her. He was currently stretched out across the sofa excused from attending the New Year's Eve Ball under the guise of being ill.

His mother frowned as she surveyed him critically. "I don't like to leave you here on your own for New Year."

Cedric sighed heavily. "It's just one night, mum. There'll be loads of other New Year's Eve's for us to go out on. I'm just really not feeling well tonight."

"You don't feel hot," his mother commented.

Cedric's lips pursed. "I didn't say I felt hot, I said I didn't feel well."

"Will you come along," Mr Diggory called impatiently to his wife. "Let the boy alone if he doesn't feel well."

"Alright," Mrs Diggory kissed the top of her son's head and left him alone in the front room.

Cedric listened for the sound of the floo network whisking them off to the Ministry before he jumped up from the sofa and whirled into action. It didn't take him long to light the non-floo network fire, pour out goblets of pumpkin juice and hurry to his room where he pulled open the curtains just enough to let in the moonlight, giving the room a soft glow. Nervously, he plumped up his pillows, turned down the bed covers and hid his dirty socks. He absently thought that he had to remember to put those in the laundry in the morning.

Giving his room one last critical look, Cedric hurried back down to the living room to wait for Luna. By the time he got to the living room Luna was already there, stepping out of the fire place, brushing green dust from her dress; a simple white affair that fell to just above her knees and buttoned up the back. Her hair hung loose down her back, curling at the ends and her eyes glittered when they found him standing in the doorway.

Cedric took a step towards her, she felt weak just looking at him; the graceful way he moved, his t-shirt straining against the muscles in his arm and the way his jeans fit snugly around his waist, even his bare feet looked sexy. Vaguely Luna wondered how the hell feet were supposed to look sexy; but she couldn't concentrate on that right now, not when he was advancing upon her like a lion waiting to pounce.

He moved as close to her as he could so that Luna had to tilt her head to look up at him. Gently, Cedric took her face in his hands, leaning down he brushed a feather light kiss across her mouth. Luna felt him sigh, resting the tip of nose against hers he closed his eyes for a few moments. Then she looked up at him, her face clearly relaying all the sweet, blazing passion of a first love. Cedric's grey eyes gleamed with an intense fire, unhidden primitive arousal surging between them.

Clinging to the front of his t-shirt to steady herself, Luna raised herself up to her tip toes, her lips parting on a shaky breath as she kissed him softly. He responded to her immediately, his touch warm, his lips sensual and caressing.

She sighed softly when his mouth released hers. "Hi," she murmured.

Cedric's lips twitched into a smile. "Hello, Luna."

Running a hand through his hair she gazed up at him with utter adoration in her eyes. "How was your day?"

"So-so. Yours?"

"Just fine."

Stroking his fingers down the length of her hair Cedric released her from his arms and led her over to the sofa. "Drink?"

"Oh yes," she accepted the pumpkin juice he handed to her and took a sip as he sat beside her, stretching out his long legs.

"Are you sure you want to stay in tonight? We can still go to the Ministry if you want to?" Cedric offered, hoping against hope that she hadn't changed her mind.

"I'd rather stay in with you, Cedric," Luna assured him. "I will miss the dancing though."

Cedric smiled easily. Getting to his feet he crossed the room and set up the gramophone, letting the soft, slow melody fill the room. "You don't have to miss out." He offered her his hand and laughing she took it, allowing him to sweep her into his arms and against his chest.

Her body moved with his, was guided by his. The scent of her sweet, warm flesh filled his nose and he heard the sharp, stifled heat of her breath against his shoulder when his hips cradled hers and her body discovered the maleness of his own.

The music continued to play, but Luna didn't hear it, she was too caught up in Cedric, concentrating on his fingers slowly unbuttoning the back of her dress. As the thin fabric fell to the side Cedric's fingertips touched the soft, bare skin at the base of her spine. His fingers stroked upwards, slow, deliberate movements causing an aching sweetness to course through her and she sighed quietly.

The sound of her blissful sigh caused an immediate overpowering need to take her, to let his body satisfy the urgent need that was pounding through him.

Her arms came from around his back to slide up his chest and curl around his neck, her head titling back in silent invitation. Feverishly his lips met hers, his tongue caressing hers, kissing her deeply, urgently, his hands sliding along her back, into her dress feeling the soft flesh under his palms.

The next thing Luna knew Cedric had scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest, his nose nudging at her temple, drawing in the scent of her, locking it in his head and letting it loose to fill his veins with the ultimate desire. Nerves jumped beneath her skin, muscles tightened, knotted, clenched in her stomach, and still heat surged through her, a longing for him causing her fingers to clutch at his shoulder blades and place tiny kisses along his jaw.

Cedric set her on her feet once they reached his room, easing the straps of her dress over her shoulders so that it slithered down her body, over her hips to pool at her feet. Her body trembled; melting, swirling, yearning feelings filling her. Tugging his top over his head, Luna's hands smoothed over his shoulders, down his chest over skin that was sleek and soft and bones that were hard and solid and muscles that were taunt and defined.

Placing her comfortably on the bed, Cedric unbuckled her shoes, clasping her small feet in his hands, pressing the pads of his thumbs into the arch of her feet, kneading each one slowly. Peeling his trousers off, Cedric stretched out beside her, leaning over her, sliding his arms around her, applying tender kisses to her mouth.

It seemed to Luna that Cedric spent hours loving her mouth, his tongue probing, flirting, caressing; teasing, exploring, ravishing until her mouth felt red hot and swollen and her body ached unbearably for more. A swift shudder ran through her when finally, Cedric's hand encased her breast, his palm rubbing erotically over her eagerly swollen nipple. Her nipples were flushed a dark pink and she cried out when his mouth cupped her breast, tugging delicately on it, causing a burst of violent pleasure to engulf her.

Cedric could feel the violent thud of his heart against his ribs, his hands trembled and he worried that his body was so out of control that he would never be able to reign himself in. He could feel her fingers biting into the warm flesh of his shoulders as her body arched up to him and he devoured her flesh eagerly.

His hands trailed over her ribs, down her sides and over the hollow of her stomach, and where his hands went his lips followed, revelling in the sweet taste of her flesh and the quiet moans that escaped her lips. Fingers brushed the waistband of her underwear and he felt a rush of relief when her hips lifted and he drew the scrap of lace down her bent legs; pressing his mouth against her knee, and another kiss to her inner thigh,

Luna squirmed under the hot pressure of his mouth, her breathing coming harder, her skin becoming warmer. She was taken by surprise when his lips touched hers again. She stared up at him with wide delirious eyes, noting how his grey eyes scorched her skin.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered hoarsely as his knee slowly parted her legs and he reached out to touch her, gently, carefully between her thighs, his fingers trembling slightly as she yielded willingly to his caress.

She was so soft, so hot, so swollen; he traced his fingers along the length of her, and she quickened to his touch, her flesh ripe and blooming. Luna moaned, desire sizzling away beneath her heat prickled skin. The feel of his finger dipping into her had her eyes widening, a small gasp leaving her parted lips and her stomach tightened. She grasped hold of his upper arm, her eyes lifting to his face and his name came out of her in a croak.

Brushing his lips against her moist forehead he said quietly. "It's alright."

Releasing her grip on his arm, Luna took a steadying breath that quickly turned into a low moan when his finger started to move with slow, purposeful strokes. Cedric took his time with her, enjoying her completely, struggling to curb the wild urges roaring inside him. When he was sure her body had relaxed and she was used to the new feeling, taking great care not to cause any unnecessary pain, Cedric added a second finger. Luna gasped with pleasure as Cedric's pace increased, and her body pulsed with longing.

The sudden need he had to taste her thundered through Cedric and he slithered down her body, his hand releasing her, easing her legs wider apart and pressing his lips against her in a tender kiss. Her hips jerked in surprise and Cedric's hands curled over her hips firmly. "Easy," he murmured. "This won't hurt a bit I promise."

She released a trembling breath and then a gasp of pleasure at the erotic flick of his tongue against flesh that was smooth and silky, and a heavy kick of heat came from her as she arched her back in delight. Luna could barely breathe, her heart pounding and her pulse racing as a flood of emotion washed over her as Cedric's tongue teased and promised, his mouth hot and devastating, wrenching a broken whimper from her lips.

The next thing she knew, Cedric was lying against her, bare flesh to bare flesh, the hard ridge of his arousal pressing into her stomach. When his underwear had disappeared Luna didn't know, and in spite of the intimacies they had just shared, her cheeks still flushed.

Cedric positioned himself over her, unable to deny himself the pleasure of being with her any longer. Balancing on his elbows he looked down at her flushed face, drinking her in as though he would never see her again. His mouth captured hers again, his tongue plundering the softness within with a fervent need.

Luna's arms slipped up his back, matching his kiss with equal ferocity, her tongue moving over his causing a low groan to echo through her mouth.

He was throbbing as he nudged against her heated core, easing himself into her. Propping himself on one elbow, his other hand crept down her thigh, cupping her beneath her knee, drawing her leg up to hold it against his hip. Cedric pressed forward through the soft flesh that encased his erection in a sleek, silky heat. He bit his bottom lip, the muscles in his back and shoulders tightening with the force of battling his ferocious need to possess her.

Cedric groaned in pleasure, she was so snug wrapped around the thick length of him already, he could barely wait to get fully inside her.

He felt Luna's body's natural resistance to his intrusion and she gave a sharp gasp of pain, her body freezing. "Don't tense up," he whispered against her ear, pressing his lips to her throat. "Everything will be alright, you'll be just fine."

Pulling back slightly, Cedric pressed his hips forward again, pushing against the barrier that marked her innocence; pressing against her again and again, a little harder each time, easing himself into her slowly, delicately, allowing her body to get used to his intrusion. His body was hot; his flesh blazing each time it came into contact with hers and perspiration stood out against his hair line and broke out along his back.

Another sharp pain enveloped her senses and Luna cried out, her nails biting into his shoulder blade, her eyes screwing tightly shut.

A raw groan left his lips as he pushed his full length completely into her body. She felt so good around him, hot, wet and tight. Cedric's eyes closed to savour the moment, his body finally joined to hers, as deep as he could possibly go.

His forehead rested against hers, his breath fanning her face, mingling with Luna's as her head tilted back, her lips mere inches from his. With each slow, deep thrust he gave her their bodies drew nearer, and Cedric's back rippled with the movement, his behind clenching, his hand firm on her leg, keeping her knee bent.

This was what she had been yearning for, aching for; her body shivered with each firm thrust of Cedric's body into her own.

Cedric was lost, lost in his own hazy desire; lost on the way she gasped his name and clung to his body as pleasure stormed through her; lost on the wild tide of passion that carried him onwards, straining towards his release and driving Luna to hers.

The air around them crackled with sensuality, it was hot and cloying with an ever -increasing desire that burnt between them, transporting them to another level of consciousness and a blissful moment of perfection.

Luna cried out just as Cedric felt her inner muscles clamping down on him and he cried out his own pleasure, his climax as thorough as hers was.

Luna felt boneless, as she lay half under Cedric from where he had collapsed beside her, the lower half of his body still covering her. He was panting, harsh and ragged against her neck all energy drained from him.

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked once he had recovered enough to speak.

"Yes," she whispered dreamily, her eyes closed and a small contented smile on her face. "It was different, and so much better than I thought it would be."

Cedric simply smiled, brushing his thumb across her lips in an absent gesture. "My imagination couldn't have prepared me for you, Luna."

She blinked and stared at him thoughtfully. "I'm so glad it was you, Cedric."

"Me too."

"It's funny, isn't it," she said after a few minutes, smiling softly at him as his knuckles brushed her cheek.

"What is?"

Luna gazed lovingly at him, her voice full of affection when she spoke, "That once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale."


End file.
